NMU will more than likely have to win the WCHA Conference tournament this year in order to get an NCAA bid as the WCHA is now considered to be a "weak sister" D1 college hockey conference and teams usually don't get any "At Large" bids in the NCAA's.... MTU (23-15-7) was the only WCHA team to get into the NCAA's last year due to their automatic bid by winning the WCHA Conference tournament.... Minnesota State (22-13-4), Bemidji State (22-16-3) & Bowling Green (21-18-2) all won over 20 games but didn't get "At Large" bids to the NCAA's last year so you pretty much have to win the WCHA post-season tournament to get in unless a team has an unreal season winning 25 games and then getting upset in the WCHA tourney.... NMU could conceivably win 22 games this year and not get into the NCAA's going by what went down last year.... 2016-17 Final RPI Rankings had MTU #27, Minnesota State #28, Bemidji State #29 & Bowling Green #38....

NMU will more than likely have to win the WCHA Conference tournament this year in order to get an NCAA bid as the WCHA is now considered to be a "weak sister" D1 college hockey conference and teams usually don't get any "At Large" bids in the NCAA's.... MTU (23-15-7) was the only WCHA team to get into the NCAA's last year due to their automatic bid by winning the WCHA Conference tournament.... Minnesota State (22-13-4), Bemidji State (22-16-3) & Bowling Green (21-18-2) all won over 20 games but didn't get "At Large" bids to the NCAA's last year so you pretty much have to win the WCHA post-season tournament to get in unless a team has an unreal season winning 25 games and then getting upset in the WCHA tourney.... NMU could conceivably win 22 games this year and not get into the NCAA's going by what went down last year.... 2016-17 Final RPI Rankings had MTU #27, Minnesota State #28, Bemidji State #29 & Bowling Green #38....

20 wins doesn't mean much...there were by my count 25 teams with 20 or more wins last year.

It isn't just the number of wins you get, it is who you get them against.

The WCHA as a whole went 17-48-5 in out of conference play. That is why there were no at large bids awarded.

Really?!? You're questioning a team that flirted with not making the WCHA playoffs getting a middle of the field assessment after losing four double digit point producers (one being a D man), and a whole new* coaching staff?

I'd say it's about right. Maybe a hair low, but I haven't done enough research on the other teams to rank-em.

I will guess that 3-7 will likely be separated by just a weekend-ish worth of points. Maybe an extra couple points between 3-4.

Really?!? You're questioning a team that flirted with not making the WCHA playoffs getting a middle of the field assessment after losing four double digit point producers (one being a D man), and a whole new* coaching staff?

I'd say it's about right. Maybe a hair low, but I haven't done enough research on the other teams to rank-em.

I will guess that 3-7 will likely be separated by just a weekend-ish worth of points. Maybe an extra couple points between 3-4.

NMU Hockey Coach Grant Potulny Talks About The Team During Monday's 2017-18 WCHA Media Day

September 25th, 2017

NMU Hockey coach Grant Potulny talked about some of the players who could contribute at a high level this season, like forwards Zach Diamantoni and Darien Craighead, and he made sure to mention the Wildcats’ strong goaltending tandem of Atte Tolvanen and Mathias Israelsson as well. The new coach also discussed his coaching staff and the league’s overall strength.

One of the more specific things Potulny talked about was how his style of play was catching on with the Wildcats. Potulny talked about emphasizing speed and players improvising on the ice and going with their instincts, which was something that wasn’t common in previous years and said the Wildcats have responded well and he likes what he sees.

Potulny also said there are a lot of different ways to play the game to be successful at any level. He said the only way that he knows how to play the game is to constantly be on your toes and play like NHL teams Chicago and Pittsburgh as they’re always putting pressure on people and that NMU's players have done a really good job with that so far in practice.

Potulny said whatever style you play, you design your practices to go that way and that NMU's practices have been at a frenetic pace to this point and that his NMU players have really responded well. He said there’s always going to be a learning curve and there’s going to be things you’re going to work on and that he's been really impressed with the energy and the attitude that the players have brought every day.

NMU Hockey Coach Grant Potulny Talks About The Team During Monday's 2017-18 WCHA Media Day

September 25th, 2017

NMU Hockey coach Grant Potulny talked about some of the players who could contribute at a high level this season, like forwards Zach Diamantoni and Darien Craighead, and he made sure to mention the Wildcats’ strong goaltending tandem of Atte Tolvanen and Mathias Israelsson as well. The new coach also discussed his coaching staff and the league’s overall strength.

One of the more specific things Potulny talked about was how his style of play was catching on with the Wildcats. Potulny talked about emphasizing speed and players improvising on the ice and going with their instincts, which was something that wasn’t common in previous years and said the Wildcats have responded well and he likes what he sees.

Potulny also said there are a lot of different ways to play the game to be successful at any level. He said the only way that he knows how to play the game is to constantly be on your toes and play like NHL teams Chicago and Pittsburgh as they’re always putting pressure on people and that NMU's players have done a really good job with that so far in practice.

Potulny said whatever style you play, you design your practices to go that way and that NMU's practices have been at a frenetic pace to this point and that his NMU players have really responded well. He said there’s always going to be a learning curve and there’s going to be things you’re going to work on and that he's been really impressed with the energy and the attitude that the players have brought every day.

Slightly edited selection of a longer article from the Mining Journal by Ryan Stieg LINK

NMU Hockey Coach Grant Potulny Talks About The Team During Monday's 2017-18 WCHA Media Day

September 25th, 2017

NMU Hockey coach Grant Potulny talked about some of the players who could contribute at a high level this season, like forwards Zach Diamantoni and Darien Craighead, and he made sure to mention the Wildcats’ strong goaltending tandem of Atte Tolvanen and Mathias Israelsson as well. The new coach also discussed his coaching staff and the league’s overall strength.

One of the more specific things Potulny talked about was how his style of play was catching on with the Wildcats. Potulny talked about emphasizing speed and players improvising on the ice and going with their instincts, which was something that wasn’t common in previous years and said the Wildcats have responded well and he likes what he sees.

Potulny also said there are a lot of different ways to play the game to be successful at any level. He said the only way that he knows how to play the game is to constantly be on your toes and play like NHL teams Chicago and Pittsburgh as they’re always putting pressure on people and that NMU's players have done a really good job with that so far in practice.

Potulny said whatever style you play, you design your practices to go that way and that NMU's practices have been at a frenetic pace to this point and that his NMU players have really responded well. He said there’s always going to be a learning curve and there’s going to be things you’re going to work on and that he's been really impressed with the energy and the attitude that the players have brought every day.

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